Rancho 9000 or Bilstein 4600
OK folks, got a quick question for you. I'm thinking that my OEM shocks are toast, and am thinking about replacement. For a number of years, I had been extremely happy with the performance of Rancho...
Forum Discussion
I had a talk with Rancho before I purchased. It was decided that for a truck camper where all the weight is added to the rear suspension, having 9000's on the rear and 5000's on the front would work.
I tried it. First thing I found (with camper loaded, shocks on stiffest setting, and running Bigwig sway bar) is a dip in the road caused by sinking covert caused the rear of truck to oscillate up and down in a manner that seemed to get worse with every stroke. Slowing down was only thing that would stop it. Since this dip in road is near my house, I tried it several times and I could repeat it.
They replaced the rear shocks. The new shocks were exactly like the originals. than they suggested that maybe this imbalance was caused by having 9000's on back and 5000's on front. They have this 90 day ride guarantee, but they said I had to return all the shocks and buy new ones. Since at this point the truck was almost brand new, I told them if I had to return all the shocks, and wait for a refund to buy new shocks I was putting the stock shocks back on and leaving them on since they seemed to work better, they stuck to there guns and I put the stock shocks back on and left it that way.
Now on my 2006 I had a factory shock start to squeak when truck was brand new. I put 4 Bilsteins on that truck and loved them. in fact my brother now owns that truck and it still had the Bilsteins on which feel great after 100,000 miles.
I have a new truck on order and think I am just going to leave it alone until it needs shocks, then it will be Bilstein 4600's.
I read the 4600 is the shock designed for the truck in stock configuration and the 5100 is for trucks that have been lived 1"-2" this means it has longer stroke.
keep in mind on trucks with stock suspension, if you have 5100's installed it will allow the suspension to drop further then the factory shocks will when jacking it up by frame. this can cause springs to fall out of move position in the mounts. if your stock, use the 4600's.
I tried it. First thing I found (with camper loaded, shocks on stiffest setting, and running Bigwig sway bar) is a dip in the road caused by sinking covert caused the rear of truck to oscillate up and down in a manner that seemed to get worse with every stroke. Slowing down was only thing that would stop it. Since this dip in road is near my house, I tried it several times and I could repeat it.
They replaced the rear shocks. The new shocks were exactly like the originals. than they suggested that maybe this imbalance was caused by having 9000's on back and 5000's on front. They have this 90 day ride guarantee, but they said I had to return all the shocks and buy new ones. Since at this point the truck was almost brand new, I told them if I had to return all the shocks, and wait for a refund to buy new shocks I was putting the stock shocks back on and leaving them on since they seemed to work better, they stuck to there guns and I put the stock shocks back on and left it that way.
Now on my 2006 I had a factory shock start to squeak when truck was brand new. I put 4 Bilsteins on that truck and loved them. in fact my brother now owns that truck and it still had the Bilsteins on which feel great after 100,000 miles.
I have a new truck on order and think I am just going to leave it alone until it needs shocks, then it will be Bilstein 4600's.
I read the 4600 is the shock designed for the truck in stock configuration and the 5100 is for trucks that have been lived 1"-2" this means it has longer stroke.
keep in mind on trucks with stock suspension, if you have 5100's installed it will allow the suspension to drop further then the factory shocks will when jacking it up by frame. this can cause springs to fall out of move position in the mounts. if your stock, use the 4600's.
